Tag Archives: Contemporary art

11th Biennale de Lyon: A Terrible Beauty is Born / La Sucrière

Last September, I attended the opening of the 11è Biennale de Lyon, “A Terrible Beauty is Born“. My first biennale of contemporary art, with a hot sunny day. First stop : La Sucrière, an old industrial building, located in a riverbank, with several exhibitions at different levels. Better than a long speech : here works of art I liked. Pictures 1 & 6 : Arthur Bispo Do Rosario, Semblantes. Picture 2 : Robbie Cornelissen, Het Grote Geheugen X / the Capacious Memory, 2011. Picture 3 : Julien Discrit, The Day Trip Project, 2011.  Pictures 4 & 5 : Robert Filliou, recherche sur l’Origine, 1974. Picture 7 : Thierry Raspail, the director of the 11th Biennale de Lyon, in front of two art works of Ernesto Ballesteros.

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11th Biennale de Lyon: A Terrible Beauty is Born / Musée d’art contemporain

Hermès, Brussels: The Opening of Barthelemy Toguo’s Exhibition, “The Well Water” 

INTERVIEWS & NEWS

 

Hermès, Brussels: The Opening of Barthelemy Toguo’s Exhibition, “The Well Water”

Few things I know about Barthélémy Toguo… The colorful barrels represent his childhood : “when I was a kid, I used to bring water at home, it was hard. I paint barrels with colors to bring fun“. The scales with iron nails, on the walls, or the ones painted (pictures below) : “Each scale representes a lifelong journey“. Some ladders have more rungs and iron nails… The African proverbs that pursue “universality“, selected excerpts : “Heart is not a knee that we can bend”, “Say yes won’t stop the one who refuses to refuse”… Brillant, as those draws showing “what we have in head” and  “this wall was empty“. The entire series represent fifty draws. Me : “I know I ‘ve recently seen some of your artwork. I can’t remember where…” Amused he anwsers me : “At the Biennale de Lyon, coffins…

Me : “Yes! Of course, near the entrance! I knew your name reminded me things!”. I won’t discribe you the audience around, looking at me as if I was a poor E.T. lost in the middle of nowhere! I’ve always wanted to understand why some grown-up people need to adore (like teenagers) an artist, a politician, a model, guru, or everything-supposed-to-be-a- human-being, granted of a talent and/or a charism. And for sure Barthélémy Toguo’s got the both, talent and charisma, famous artist of the contemporary art scene. But happy poor minded like me,  who never reads a line about the artist of the exhibition he watches. I watch, it’s the principe of an exhibition, isn’t it? And if I enjoy it, I read or chat with the artist. And I won’t show you the “Shower life” happening too. When everybody was shooting like mad the performance in the great space of La Verrière, in the Hermès shop. I believe that the first interest of a performance is to be present and attend the live, not to be watched in streaming. A meteor meeting with the univers of a prolix artist, his artwork, my vision, your curiosity… Enjoy!

Infomations : La Verrière, Hermès, 50 boulevard de waterloo, Bruxelles 1000, Phone : + 32 (0)2 511 20 62. Exhibition from Novembre 4th till December 17th 2011, open from monday to saterday, from 11 a.m. till 6 p.m.

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Meeting Gilbert & George in BOZAR Brussels

Bubbling Meeting With Gilbert & George

The two blockbusters of contemporary art exhit in BOZAR museum, “Jack Freak Pictures”. BOZAR is defenetely a hotspot for astute exhibitions. I’m late as usual. In the big hall, journalists watch the pictures. Paul Dujardin, the museum director, anwsers a TV. And Gilbert & George? Sat on a bench in the middle of the big hall. The impassive duet chats with journalists. I quickly review the pictures and head for the phlegmatic gentlemen and invite them to strike the pose in front one of their work of art. Then…

– Today contemporary art? Everybody loves contemporary art …   

G & G: Yes, even in hairdressing salon, you find « contemporary art »! We’re not following the contemporary art. We are not a part of any movement. We are an artist. Two people, one artist.   

– How does it work? I mean the creative process?        

G & G: It’s a magical system (smiles). Schizophrenic. To be an artist, you need to believe you are an artist. You need confidence.

– Provocation?

G & G: Yes, without provocation, art is totally boring. Mais il faut aussi que l’œuvre soit accessible.  

– What does it mean for you being a successfull artist? Congratulation for lasting all those years, usually after being famous people split?     

G & G (surprised): No no we are an artist. We don’t need things. We take our breakfast in the cheapest place in the world (smiles) and spend most of the time in the atelier.    

– Do you consider yourselves as a Brit artist?      

G & G: No! George is British. Gilbert is from the Dolomiti. Do you know Spiterfield? We live there, people came from all over the world. Many different nationalities.

– Inspiration?

G & G: Close your eyes, look Inside.

Thank you Gilbert & George! And the approachable aristocratic duet has already gone answering new journalists in other halls. The first hall is empty now and I can dicover the exhibition alone. GO TO BOZAR AND ENJOY! For all informations about the exhibition, click here.

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